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LSU to play BYU in Houston in 2017

HOUSTON – LSU and BYU will open the 2017 season in the fifth installment of the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff at NRG Stadium in Houston. The game will mark the first meeting between the schools.

The AdvoCare Texas Kickoff and the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl have grown to become two of the most popular annual college football games in the country. The LSU-BYU matchup in 2017 will follow Texas A&M-Arizona State in 2015 and Oklahoma-Houston in 2016.

"We are thrilled to announce that LSU and BYU will be competing in the 2017 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff game at NRG Stadium to open the college football season," said Jamey Rootes, president of the Houston Texans and Lone Star Sports & Entertainment. "We look forward to hosting these two great football programs and their passionate fan bases for what has become a Labor Day weekend tradition in Houston. This game reinforces the reputation that Houston and NRG Stadium have earned as a premier destination for college football."

LSU has a storied program led by 10th-year head coach Les Miles, who is 103-29 since taking over in 2005. Under his direction, the Tigers have won a national championship and two SEC titles, played in 10 straight bowls games and finished ranked in the top 20 eight times. LSU picked up a victory against No. 14 Wisconsin in the 2014 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff game and finished the season with an 8-5 record (4-4 in the SEC). The Tigers ended the year with a 31-28 loss to Notre Dame in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.

"We are excited about the opportunity to return to Houston for the 2017 season opener against BYU," said Joe Alleva, LSU vice chancellor and director of athletics. "We opened the 2014 season against Wisconsin in NRG Stadium and the turnout and response from our fans far exceeded our expectations. Houston is a great city with a huge LSU alumni base and NRG Stadium continues to be one of the great venues for football. We look forward to opening the 2017 season against BYU in Houston in what should be another great start to the football season."

Bronco Mendenhall has been at the helm of BYU since 2005, after two years as the defensive coordinator. He has guided BYU to 10 straight bowl invitations, won two outright conference championships and led the way into BYU football independence. The Cougars are 90-39 with Mendenhall as head coach and 34-18 since going independent in 2011. BYU went 8-5, which included a 41-7 win at Texas, and ended 2014 with a 55-48 loss in double overtime to Memphis in the Miami Beach Bowl.

"Any football team or fan who loves the game would be thrilled to have the chance to play a traditional powerhouse like LSU in an awesome venue like NRG Stadium," said BYU director of athletics Tom Holmoe. "We are excited and grateful for the invitation to play in such a great game."

The 2017 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff will mark the fifth year of an eight-year agreement between Lone Star Sports & Entertainment and ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN, to bring a top college football game to NRG Stadium during the Labor Day weekend to start the college football season.

"We continue to be pleased with the growth of the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff," said Pete Derzis, senior vice president for ESPN events. "Both teams have a great fan following and rich history, which will continue to bring a high level of interest to our game."